General Motors will soon be even greener than before as by the end of 2012, their sustainable, Brazilian engine plant will be fully operational. The facility, which is located in Joinville, will use the first solar energy system in Brazil’s automotive industry as well as be the first to employ a water recycling system using reverse osmosis. If that list of “firsts” wasn’t enough, the plant will also be the first GM facility to become landfill-free in the entire country.
“We are one of the first companies in Brazil to push environmental innovation into the manufacturing space,” said Grace Lieblein, president of GM do Brasil. The construction of the plant is awash with the green movement and environmentally friendly technologies are being used left and right. A large portion of the lighting structure – enough energy to power 285 Brazilian homes – will earn its power from solar panels. That alone will annually save the plant 10 tons of C02 emissions while a solar powered water heating system will save an additional 17.6 tons. Each year, the facility will save 22 million liters of water using reverse osmosis while a sewage treatment process using gardens, contrasting the traditional chemical system, will save 3.6 tons of C02 emissions.
Overall, each sustainable implication should allow the plant to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. If the facility earns the accolade, it will join the exclusive club that currently holds just two members from GM: the American Lansing Delta Township assembly plant and the Chinese Headquarters in Shanghai. “Sustainability is in the DNA of our company, and we are incorporating environmental features into our facilities from the ground up,” said Lieblein.
Source: General Motors
